Miscellaneous Information

Various Identification Codes ...

GNIS Codes ...

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) was created to address the problems caused by spelling and naming variations. The BGN will usually recognize an existing name or, when necessary, establish a new name for a geographic feature (such as a mountain, lake, river, stream, city, town, village, dam, bridge, etc).

The BGN names are kept in a database called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and it is the official Federal repository. The GNIS is operated and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

A unique and permanent numeric code has been assigned for each name in the GNIS database. These names and identifiers are definitive and it is intended that they are to be used by all departments of the Federal Government:

GNIS ID for East Greenwich: 1220017

GNIS ID for Kent County: 1219778

GNIS ID for Rhode Island: 1219835

FIPS Codes ...

In a past effort, various federal agencies created a set of codes with a purpose similar to the GNIS codes. These codes are called the Federal Information Processing Standard (or the FIPS 55 codes). Although they are still used by some organizations, the FIPS codes are obsolete and will ultimately be replaced by the GNIS codes.

The following FIPS codes apply to East Greenwich:

Place (Community) Code:	22420
State Code:	44 (Rhode Island)
County Code:	003 (Kent County)

Since the Place and County FIPS codes are not unique and can be repeated in other States, it's necessary to combine the State code with the Place and County FIPS codes to uniquely identify them - for example:

State/Place Code:	44/22420
State/County Code:	44/003

As already mentioned, the FIPS codes are to be replaced by the GNIS codes. The following reflect those changes:

	FIPS Code	translates to	GNIS Code
State of Rhode Island:	44		1219835
Kent County:	44/003		1219778
East Greenwich:	44/22420		1220017

GPS Location - GNIS Coordinates ...

An important aspect of the GNIS code is that it assigns a GPS location (the latitude/longitude) to the geographic feature. This location is simply a point on the map and does not represent the size or shape of the feature. In the case of East Greenwich, it is a point within East Greenwich that might be a post office, the city hall or simply an intersection - the point should really be considered arbitrary and only indicating a general location.

For East Greenwich, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat:   41° 39' 37"   (or 41.66°)

Lon:   -71° 27' 21"   (or -71.46°)  

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. East Greenwich is located in Region #1 (the Northeast Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. East Greenwich is located in Division #1 (the New England Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. East Greenwich is located in Region I (Region 1).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. East Greenwich is located in Region I (Region 1).

ZIP Codes ...

While some people have used a ZIP code to identify a community, the purpose of the ZIP code was to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although the ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a community like East Greenwich, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) East Greenwich. It's important to remember that the boundaries of a ZIP Code are defined by the needs of the USPS and can be changed, re-assigned or overlapped with other ZIP Codes.

The ZIP code for East Greenwich: 02818<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1220017   (Name of Record: East Greenwich)

Class: populated place

A place or area having clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent population (such as a city, settlement, town or village). The boundaries may or may not coincide with the perceived population.

A 'populated place' record may have a corresponding 'census' or 'civil' record. The information contained in the 'populated place' record applies only to the class and should not be confused with either the 'census' and 'civil' classes.

County: Kent

Map Name: East Greenwich

Lat: 41.6603788       Lon: -71.4558911  

Elev: 48 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 44/22420   (Place Name: East Greenwich)

County: Kent     (FIPS State/County: 44/003)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- East Greenwich) that is wholly or substantially located outside the boundaries of any incorporated place or CDP (Census Designated Place) that has an authoritative common name recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

GSA Code: 55

MSA Code: 6480

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for East Greenwich: www.eastgreenwichri.com/

The official website for State of Rhode Island: https://www.ri.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

The official website of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)